Hourglass runs a confidential freephone helpline, which provides information and support to an older person, or anyone concerned about an older person, who is at risk of, experiencing or recovering from any form of abuse or neglect. The helpline is available throughout the UK. Call Hourglass on 080 8808 8141. The call will not show up on your phone bill. You can send a text to 078 600 52906. The number will appear on your bill and in your phone records but will not be identified as Hourglass. You can email [email protected]. You can also get information from the chatbot on the website. All helpline and chatbot services are available 24/7.

Office of the Public Guardian helps people plan for someone to make decisions for them, such as a guardian, attorney or deputy, where they do not have the mental capacity to do so themselves. They also support people who make decisions for someone on health and financial issues who are unable to do so themselves. They have various online guides for help or you can call the Office of the Public Guardian on 0300 456 0300 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 am – 5pm and Wednesdays 10am – 5pm, or email: [email protected].

For help with benefits or tax credits, contact your local advice agency or Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).

Advicelocal is a UK-wide service from the advice charity rights.net. Advicelocal can help you with questions relating to welfare benefits and tax credits. You just enter a postcode and choose an advice topic to find tailored information for your area, including details of independent advice organisations who can help you get the advice and support that you need.

Citizens Advice is the national body for Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Scroll down their homepage to search for a CAB near you. Citizens Advice also runs a free national phone service, Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm (closed on public holidays). If you live in England call Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848. If you live in Wales call them on 0800 702 2020. Calls are free from mobiles and landlines. Citizens Advice also has an online chat service that you can find on their Contact us page. For debt problems, this service is available between 9am - 8pm Monday to Friday and between 9.30am - 1pm Saturday. For other problems, the service is available 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. You can use Relay when accessing advice through Citizens Advice with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Gingerbread provide expert guidance for single parents on a wide range of topics. You can meet other single mums and dads via their online forum or in their local and digital groups. 

LawWorks connects people in need of legal advice and assistance with lawyers willing to meet those needs for free. It supports over 100 legal advice clinics across England and Wales. The majority of these law clinics take place in the evening and provide free initial advice with a particular focus on social welfare issues, employment law, housing matters and consumer disputes. You can find a clinic here: LawWorks clinics network.

Turn2Us provides a free Benefits Calculator and Grants Search tools to check what benefits users might be able to claim and what grants they might be able to apply for.

If your family is involved with local authority children's services, or you need help from these services, then the Family Rights Group can give you information about what the law says and what procedures should be followed, discuss your options and support you to make realistic choices. Call Family Rights Group on 0808 801 0366 for free and confidential advice. They are open Monday to Friday, 9.30am-3.00pm (closed on bank holidays). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, please dial 18001 and then 0808 801 0366 for textphone.

Coram Children's Legal Centre provides a child and family law service called Child Law Advice to children, their families and carers in England. Common areas of advice include local authority duties towards children and young people, care proceedings, child protection issues and special educational needs. Call Child Law Advice on 0300 330 5480 for family law problems and 0300 330 5485 for education law problems. Open Monday - Friday 10am-4pm. Webchat services are open Monday - Friday 8am-5.30pm. A web chat icon will appear on the right-hand side of the page if an adviser is available. Email enquiries can also be submitted 24/7 via the 2 online forms - one for family email advice or one for education email advice. They cannot advise you if you have a lawyer already. You can also book a callback from a member of their legal team, which is a paid-for service. Available to book hourly Monday - Friday from 8.30am-5pm.

The National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) can help children and young people in care who are not happy in their placement or who aren’t seeing their siblings as well as mothers who have experience of being in care and whose local authority is threatening to take their own children away. For information about how to contact the service, see NYAS legal services or call National Youth Advocacy Service on 0808 808 1001. Line open Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm or email to [email protected]. Calls are free and confidential. 

You can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 for free, confidential advice on consumer issues. Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. You can talk to a Welsh-speaking adviser at Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1144. Closed on public holidays.

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say to 18001 then 0808 223 1133. You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

If you’re liable for council tax, you may be able to get help with your bill through your local council tax support scheme, or may qualify for an exemption or discount.

Advicelocal has information on council tax which is designed to help you find details of the support available to you locally. It gives you information about your rights and entitlements and details of independent advice organisations in your area who can help. Just type in your postcode and see what's available in your area.

Debt Advice Foundation can give you free, confidential advice about your debt problems over the phone. Call the Debt Advice Foundation on 0800 043 40 50. Open Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm. 

MoneyHelper has lots of information about managing your money with online tools and a service to find a debt adviser need you. For free money guidance, you can contact MoneyHelper through webchat Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. It is closed at weekends and Bank Holidays. For credit questions or pensions guidance, you can talk to someone at MoneyHelper live on WhatsApp 077 0134 2744. For free and impartial money guidance in England call MoneyHelper on 0800 138 7777. For Wales, call MoneyHelper on 0800 138 0555. For Typetalk call 18001 0800 915 4622. From overseas, call MoneyHelper on +4420 3553 2279. This service is available Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm.  It is closed on weekends and bank holidays. You can also submit a question through an online enquiry form.

National Debtline can give you free, confidential advice and information about debt problems via their free helpline. Call the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000. Open Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm, Saturday 9.30am - 1pm. If you are calling from abroad, Call the National Debtline on +44121 227 4780. Calling from abroad is not free of charge. Webchat opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm and Saturday 9:30am - 1pm. Helpful factsheets, sample letters and a personal budget tool are also available online.

StepChange Debt Charity can give you free, confidential advice about debt problems via their free helpline. Call StepChange on 0800 138 1111. Open Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm, Saturday 9am – 2pm. Alternatively, go to the website to access their online debt advice service, available 24/7, 365 days a year.

The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) helpline advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales. Call the Equality Advisory Support Service 0808 800 0082 open Monday to Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 2pm or use their online contact form. 

Liberty provides legal information on human rights to members of the public via their website. 

The Disability Law Service provides free confidential legal advice by phone or email to people with disabilities and their carers about community care, employment, housing and benefits. Contact details and times vary depending on area of law you need help with. Go to Disability Law Service - our services to choose the topic you need and find more details.

Mind provides legal information and general advice on mental health related law covering mental health, mental capacity, community care and discrimination/equality related to mental health issues. You can contact Mind's Legal Line on 0300 466 6463 between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday (closed on public holidays) or by emailing [email protected].

If you have a question about mental health problems, where to get help near you, treatment options, or advocacy services you can call Mind on l 0300 123 3393 Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm (except for bank holidays) or email [email protected].

For support or to discuss your options you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or in Wales, Live Fear Free on 0808 8010 800. 

Both helplines are free, confidential, open for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are for anyone who is experiencing, or has experienced domestic abuse, or for anyone who is worried about domestic abuse happening to a friend, family member or colleague. 

You can contact Live Fear Free by email: [email protected] or via the live chat service on their website. You can also text Live Fear Free on 0786007733, available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. 

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline offers translation facilities for callers whose first language is not English, and a service for callers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors (FLOWS) offers legal advice for women experiencing domestic abuse face to face, by phone, Facetime and email. Call FLOWS on 020 3745 7707 between 9am-5pm or email [email protected]. You can use their postcode search online to find FLOWS services near you.

FLOWS also has an online platform that assists with the completion of a non-molestation order or occupation order. Create an account and it will direct you to accredited legal aid providers who can help you. 

The National Centre for Domestic Violence provides a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation. Call the National Centre for Domestic Violence on 0800 970 2070. Alternatively you can text 'NCDV' to 60777 and they will call you back.

Rights of Women offers free, confidential legal advice for women in England and Wales on family law matters (for example, about domestic violence and abuse, divorce, cohabitation, finances and property on relationship breakdown, parental responsibility and arrangements for children and lesbian parenting). 

• For women in England and Wales concerning family law matters, call Rights of Women on 020 7251 6577. Lines open Tuesday 7pm - 9pm, Wednesday 7pm - 9pm, Thursday 7pm - 9pm, and Friday 12pm - 2pm (closed on bank holidays). 
• For women in London, call Rights of Women on 020 7608 1137. Lines open: Mondays 10am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm, Tuesdays 2pm - 4pm, Wednesdays 2pm - 4pm, Thursdays 10am - 12pm and 2pm to 4pm (closed on bank holidays). 

Men's advice line If you are a man and experiencing domestic violence or abuse, or you are worried about someone you know who is suffering abuse, you can contact the Men's advice line on 0808 801 0327. Open Monday to Friday 10am-5pm. If your first language isn't English, they can arrange access to a telephone interpreter. If you prefer to use their web chat service this is available Monday to Friday 9am - 10am.

Mankind Initiative provides a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse as well as their friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues and employers. Call Mankind Initiative on 0808 800 1170 FREEPHONE (will not show on your bills) or call them on 01823 334 244 HELPLINE (for those with inclusive minutes), Monday to Friday from 10am - 4pm. They also have lots of useful online information and support about how to report domestic abuse and access support services.

Galop provides confidential support to all members of the LGBT community experiencing domestic abuse, hate crime or sexual violence. Call Galop on 0800 999 5428 (0800 numbers are free from landlines and included in some mobile provider inclusive minutes). Open Monday and Tuesday 9.15am to 8pm, Wednesday to Friday 9.15am - 4.15pm. The helpline is closed at weekends and for lunch between 1pm - 2pm each day. You can also email them at [email protected]. Webchat is open Monday to Friday. Times vary based on staffing - please check the website for details. 

If you are worried about your own behaviour towards your current or ex-partner, or are you concerned for someone you know who is being abusive, help is available to stop this at Respect Phoneline with non-judgmental advice and access to behaviour change programmes. Call the Respect phoneline for free on 0808 802 4040 Monday to Friday 10am-5pm or get webchat support Monday to Friday 9am - 10am.

The Forced Marriage Unit runs a helpline to provide advice and support to victims of forced marriage. A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. It is a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights. If you are worried you might be forced into marriage or are worried about a friend or relative, you can call the Forced Marriage Unit on 0207 008 0151 (or +44 (0) 20 7008 0151 if you are calling from outside the UK) or email [email protected].

IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) offers free and independent information, advice and support for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in England. You can find information about their free services and book a telephone appointment through their website - they have different helplines depending on what stage you are at. 

Child Law Advice provides specialist advice and information on education law to people living in England. Please make sure you read all the information on their website about your issue before you call their helpline. Call Child Law Advice on 0300 330 5485 if you need further help after reading their online guides. Open Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm. Webchat is available from Monday to Friday 8am-5.30pm. Email enquiries can also be submitted online. You can book a call-back online from Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm - please be aware this is a paid for service. 

Contact is a charity for families with disabled children living in England and Wales. They can help you understand more about how special educational needs are identified and assessed, who is responsible for providing help for your child at school or college and how to access support for them there. Call Contact on 0808 808 3555 on Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5pm (except Tuesdays with the slightly later opening time of 10.15am). Closed weekends and bank holidays. You can also submit a query to the helpline through an online form or email [email protected]. The line is free to call from all UK landlines and mobiles. Beware - they cannot provide legal or medical advice.

Disability Rights UK provides advice to disabled students studying in England. Their advisors can also support students who are studying in Wales or Scotland with general information on the Equality Act, welfare benefits and access to Higher Education. Call Disability Rights UK on 0330 995 0414. Line open Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am - 1pm. Or email [email protected] For details see Disabled Students Helpline.

Snap Cymru provides information, advice and support to families in Wales in relation to the special educational needs of their children and young people. To speak to an adviser at their helpline you now need to book an appointment. Call Snap Cymru 0808 801 0608, open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. Alternatively, you can fill in an online enquiry form. 

Education Otherwise is a membership organisation, which provides support and information for families whose children are being educated outside school. If you have a home education related enquiry and need advice you can call Education Otherwise on 0300 124 5690 Monday - Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 11am - 2pm or email [email protected].

ACAS - Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service offers free advice and guidance on rights at work and employment law on their website. If you read the information and still need help you can call the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100. Line open Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. You can also contact the helpline using Relay UK (by dialling 18001 0300 123 1100. You can get helpline support in any language - just tell the person you talk to what language you prefer to speak.

The Disability Law Service provides free confidential legal advice by phone or email to people with disabilities and their carers about community care, employment, housing and benefits. Contact details and times vary depending on area of law you need help with. Go to Disability Law Service - our services to choose the topic you need and find more details.

YESS is a specialist employment law charity based in London. It provides advice for people in England and Wales on employment issues, if you have received a Settlement Agreement, if you are interested in mediation, or need help with judicial mediation. They help people sort out their work problems before going to tribunal, which can be stressful and potentially worsens relationships. YESS provides a free 20 minute advice call. If you require more than 20 minutes, a charge will apply at a rate dependent on the mediator - speak to them for more information about this. If you would like to use YESS please visit their website to book a call or call YESS on 020 3701 7530 or fill in their online inquiry form.

If you need representation at an employment tribunal, you may be eligible for help from the Free Representation Unit. They can only help if your hearing is being heard in London or the South East of England. Check their website for more details on whether they can help you with your case. 

Advocate can help find you a barrister who can provide you with free advice or representation at a tribunal hearing (or at court) anywhere in England and Wales. They can help with any legal issue as long as you are not eligible for legal aid and don't have enough money to pay for legal help. Find out more about how it works and find the online form.

Once you have submitted your application, it is assessed by the casework team to make sure there is enough information about your case for a reviewer to decide if you are eligible for free help. The team may ask you for more documents or information if the form is not complete. Once the casework team is satisfied that they have enough information, your application will be sent to a senior reviewer to decide if your case fits the financial and legal merits. If the reviewer decides you are eligible and the work will take three days or less, the Advocate team will start looking for a barrister to help you. Because they rely on volunteers, they cannot guarantee to find someone, but they will do their best. If they can't find someone, they will let you know before your hearing.

Advocate finds barristers to help you with a particular task in your case. They cannot find someone to take a whole case for free. So if your application is successful, you will receive help for that specific task. After that, if you need further help you can apply again, providing at least three weeks' notice. 

Working Families provides free and confidential advice to parents and carers about their employment rights including maternity and paternity leave, rights to time off in an emergency, parental leave and flexible working. They can also advise on benefits for families. You can call the Working Families Legal Helpline on 0300 012 0312 Monday to Friday 11 - 2pm (closed on bank holidays). Beware that calls are not free, but charged at the same rate as national landline calls. You can also fill in their online advice form. They will aim to get back to you within 10 working days. 

Maternity Action offers free advice and information to help you understand and take up your rights and entitlements throughout your pregnancy, maternity leave and return to work. Contact the Maternity Rights Advice Line on 0808 802 0029 where lines are open all weekdays except Wednesdays from 10am - 12pm. 

If you live in Greater Manchester and Cheshire East call Maternity Action on 0808 801 0488 Monday to Friday 10am - 12pm. If you live in Cheshire and Merseyside call Maternity Action on 0808 802 0062 Monday to Friday 10am - 12pm. If you are unable to reach them you may be able to find the answer to your query in one of their information sheets or try contacting them via their email advice contact form. They limit the number of email contact forms per day due to a large number of queries. Please check back the following day if you are unable to access the online contact form. They will aim to get in touch with you within 5 - 10 working days. For advice about NHS charges and access to maternity care, contact the Maternity Care Access Advice Line via their email advice contact form. 

The Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit provides legal representation to victims of trafficking and labour exploitation. They can take on immigration, housing and compensation cases from across England and Wales related to these issues. You can be referred to them for legal advice and representation by a community based organisation or you can request help yourself online by filling in their online referral form. 

The Modern Slavery Helpline (part of the charity Unseen) offers callers who are potential victims help to consider their options, access crisis assistance, emotional support, help with access to social and legal services and help to connect with law enforcement agencies to get out of a situation and stay safe. If you don't speak English, they will connect you to an interpreter. Call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. Open 8am - 9pm every day, 365 days a year. You can also file a report online via their contact form.

Protect provides free, independent and confidential legal advice to workers who are worried about wrong-doing at work and about whether or how to blow the whistle. Call Protect on 020 3117 2520 or you can fill in an online contact form. Their advice line is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays 9:30am – 1pm and 2pm – 5:30pm, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30am – 1pm. Anyone in need of advice outside these times can get in touch via their online contact form and they will call you back.    

The Environmental Law Foundation helps socially and economically disadvantaged communities to be heard on matters affecting the environment in which they live. Typical issues involve air and water quality, noise pollution, threats to wildlife habitat and biodiversity, use of public open spaces and threats to those spaces.

The Foundation provides free information and advice via in-house and university based law clinics, and a network of specialist environmental lawyers and technical experts. Call the Environmental Law Foundation on 0330 123 0169 and speak to a member of their client service team who will take down your enquiry details. Alternatively, you can fill in an online form or email [email protected].

RCJ Advice can provide free legal advice if you are involved in a family law case in England and Wales. To access the service you need to complete their online form and they will assess your case and let you know if they can help. If they are unable to help, they will provide information about other organisations who may be able to. For domestic abuse advice, please contact their FLOWS team for urgent advice.

The Child Law Advice service is run by Coram Children's Legal Centre and provides a child and family law service to children, their families and carers in England. Common areas of advice include local authority duties towards children and young people, care proceedings, child protection issues and disputes about child arrangements. they run a digital-first service with lots of useful online information and guidance. If you need extra help after you have looked at their online information they offer initial legal advice by phone, email or webchat. 

Call the Child Law Advice service on 0300 330 5480. Open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm. Their web chat service is available from Monday to Friday 8am-5.30pm. Or you can fill in their online email form anytime and they will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.  

Rights of Women offers free, confidential legal advice for women in England and Wales on family law matters (domestic violence and abuse, divorce, cohabitation, finances and property on relationship breakdown, parental responsibility and arrangements for children and lesbian parenting). 

• For women in England and Wales, call Rights of Women on 020 7251 6577. Line open Tuesday to Thursday, 7pm to 9pm, Friday 12pm - 2pm (closed on public holidays). 
• For women in London, call Rights of Women on 020 7608 1137. Line open Monday and Thursday 10am -12pm and 2pm -4pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 2pm - 4pm (closed on public holidays).

Family Lives runs a confidential helpline service for families in England and Wales, giving emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Call Family Lives on 0808 800 2222 Monday to Friday, 9am - 9pm, and Saturday to Sunday 10am - 3pm. They have a live chat service that is open Monday to Friday 9am - 9pm. Closed on bank holidays. You can also contact them by email at [email protected] about any parenting or family issues. They aim to respond to emails in 24 hours excluding bank holidays. Please note that they are unable to respond to legal or medical issues, and they are not connected to social services.

Gingerbread provide lots of information via their website as well as an online forum which is a safe place for single parents to connect 24/7 to chat, and give and receive support. This organisation also offers a range of local and digital single parent groups provide a space to meet other people who understand what it's like to be a single parent.

Kinship provides free, independent and confidential advice, information and support to grandparents and other family members or friends caring for children who can't be cared for by their parents. See their website for lots of useful information and services. For specialist advice, call Kinship on 0300 123 7015 Monday to Friday 9.30am - 2pm. Or, you can fill in their online form, but the wait time is long (14 - 21 days) due to demand. If you have lost (or are losing touch) with grandchildren you can get advice and support from Family Lives (above).

Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory Service) has lots of useful information for parents and young people involved in the family court. Cafcass has a new telephone service for children and young people to share feedback  - 0808 175 3333. Open Monday to Thursday 9am - 5pm and Friday 9am - 4.30pm. You can also fill in their online feedback form.

Resolution is a member organisation that believes in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law problems. If you are trying to deal with a problem like a divorce, how to make arrangements for your children or sort out your finances when you separate, you may want to speak to a solicitor who is a member of Resolution. You can search for a member at Find a Resolution law professional.

If you are elderly, disabled or have an illness, you may be able to get help with your social care needs, including help from your local council. Advicelocal has a section on disability and social care to help you find details of the support available to you locally; national information about your rights and entitlements; and details of independent advice organisations in your area who can help you get the help that you need. Just type in your postcode and see what's available in your area.

The Disability Law Service (DLS) provides free legal advice to people with disabilities and their carers, including in areas such as community care and housing law. If you have a query about community care, you can call the Disability Law Service helpline on 020 7791 9809. The helpline is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00pm to 5:30pm. Calls will go to voicemail, so you should leave a message, and a member of the team will call you back. If you do not receive a callback on the same day, you are advised to try again during helpline hours. If your impairment means you cannot use the phone, please send an email during helpline opening hours to [email protected] making sure you clearly say at the beginning (or in the subject heading) that you need an adjustment requiring use of email. If you do not do this your email will not be read.

The Maternity Care Access Advice Service run by Maternity Action provides free confidential telephone and email advice to help women get the maternity care they need, to advise women on whether they have to pay for their NHS maternity care and to help women to deal with problems relating to charging. to get in contact with them fill out the online form and they will aim to reply within 7 working days. 

Mencap offers a free helpline service that gives advice and support for people with a learning disability, and their families and carers. It includes information and advice on social care including mental capacity and health and wellbeing. The telephone helpline for England is currently closed due to a high volume of enquiries. You can fill out their online form, or email them at [email protected]. If you are in Wales, you can call Mencap on 0808 8000 300 or email them at [email protected].

The Patients Association helpline provides free, confidential specialist information, advice and signposting about health and social care. Their advisers cannot give medical or legal advice. Call the Patients Association helpline on 0800 345 7115, Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5pm. Calls outside these times will be answered as soon as possible if you leave a message with your telephone number or you can email [email protected]. The team aim to reply within 5 working days. 

The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (formerly Solicitors For the Elderly) is an independent, national organisation of lawyers, such as solicitors, barristers, and chartered legal executives who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers. You can search for an accredited member of their organisation near you on their website.

Shelter (England) gives advice over the phone about urgent housing problems only. Call Shelter (England) on 0808 800 4444. Open Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm (closed on bank holidays). Calls are free from UK landlines and all major UK mobile operators. They ask that you look at their online advice first or use their webchat service before you call the helpline due to high demand. Webchat is open Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm and closed on bank holidays. They also have some advice centres where you can get personal, face to face advice which you can see listed online at Shelter advice centres.

Shelter Cymru can advise on housing problems if you live in Wales. If your problem is urgent call Shelter Cymru on 08000 495 495. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (Freephone). They ask you to read their online advice and chat to an adviser through their webchat first, also Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm. Shelter Cymru also runs advice surgeries across Wales. To find out when there is an adviser in your area, see Shelter Cymru - advice near you.

Migrant Help can advise you about claiming asylum, the asylum process, asylum support, accessing healthcare and finding legal representation. They can advise you, for free, in your language from anywhere in the UK. Call Migrant Help on 0808 8010503 - helpline is open 24/7, 365 days a year. 

The Immigration Advice Authority (formerly the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner) regulates immigration advisers. You can find a regulated immigration adviser at Find an immigration adviser. 

The Refugee Council provides help and support to asylum seekers and refugees - Refugee Council - get help.

Bail for Immigration Detainees helps people in immigration detention (whether in prison or a removal centre) by advising them how to apply for bail. Call Bail for Immigration Detainees on 020 7456 9750 Monday to Thursday, 10am - 12pm. Outside these times you can email [email protected]. You can also contact them by Fax - 020 3745 5226 or by post. Freepost address: Freepost BID London. 

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants provides free, confidential legal advice in very limited circumstances:

• If you are in the UK without documentation call the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants on 0800 160 1004 for free and confidential advice. Line open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am - 12pm. Or you can email [email protected]. 
• If you are a foreign national in a UK prison and need immigration advice you can call their free and confidential helpline on 020 7251 8708. 
• If you are a member of the trade union UNISON, you can get free initial advice on all aspects of immigration law. Contact the union and ask them to get in touch with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants on your behalf to arrange a phone call. 

The Work Rights Centre is a charity that supports migrants and disadvantaged workers to access employment rights and secure immigration status. Their multilingual advisers offer free, confidential advice on issues including employment, self-employment, and visa transitions (such as from the EU Settlement Scheme). Fill in their online form and a member of staff will contact you to arrange a consultation. If you don’t have an email and need to speak to someone, call The Work Rights Centre on 0300 4000 100, leave a message and someone will call you back. 

The AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) may be able to help you if you have a query concerning EU law, for example, if you have a question about your residence status or right to access benefits or you have a query about making an application to the European Court of Human Rights. To find out if the centre can help you, you can either email [email protected] or call The AIRE Centre on 020 7831 4276. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10.30am - 6pm (closed on public holidays).

The East European Resource Centre supports Eastern European migrants in the UK, including Polish, Romanian, and Ukrainian communities. Their multilingual team offers advice on immigration, welfare benefits, housing, and employment. You can call the East European Resource Centre general advice line on 020 8741 1288, Monday to Thursday from 10am to 4pm, or use the language-specific mobile helplines listed on their website. You can also email [email protected] for support. 

Asylum Justice provides free legal services to asylum seekers and refugees in Wales in cases where legal aid is not available. Fill out their online form to see if they can help you. 

Rights of Women offers free, confidential legal advice for women in England and Wales on immigration and asylum law and the EU settlement scheme. They have different helplines depending on what your problem is. For advice on immigration law including domestic abuse and family/ private life, claiming asylum, trafficking or financial support call Rights of Women on 020 7490 7689 Mondays and Thursdays 10am - 2pm and 2pm - 4pm. For help on the EU settlement scheme, call Rights of Women on 020 7118 0267 Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11am - 1pm.

Kalayaan gives free employment and immigration advice to migrant domestic workers in the UK, for example, if you have a problem with your employer, you have left an employer who is keeping your passport, or you just want to understand more about your rights. Call Kalayaan on 020 7243 2942 Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm.

The Migrant Children’s Project, run by the Coram Children's Legal Centre, provides specialist one-off legal advice on issues affecting migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children and young people, whether they are separated or in families. Advice is provided by email only - [email protected].

Rainbow Migration provides advice for LGBTQI asylum seekers but only if you are already in the UK. If you need free and confidential advice or support with your asylum application, you can fill out their online form to get help. If you cannot complete the form or need some online assistance completing it, you can call the Rainbow Migration helpline on 0203 752 5801 or contact them through their email: [email protected].

Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) provides free and confidential advice and support to people affected by medical accidents. Please see if you can find the information you need on their website first before you call the helpline. If you cannot find what you need, there is an online help form or call the Action against Medical Accidents helpline on 0345 123 2352. Line open Monday to Friday, 10am - 3.30pm. Please note this is not a freephone number.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers campaigns to change the law, protect and enhance access to justice, and improve the services provided for people who have been injured in road accidents, accidents at work or medical accidents. You can search for the best injury lawyer for you on their website.

Mind provides legal information and general advice on mental health related law including sectioning, mental capacity, community care and discrimination/equality related to mental health issues. You can contact the Mind Legal line by calling 0300 466 6463 between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday (closed on public holidays) or email [email protected]. If you have a question about mental health problems, where to get help near you, treatment options, or advocacy services you can call Mind on 0300 123 3393 Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm (except for bank holidays) or email [email protected].

The Law Society's Mental Health Accreditation Scheme can help you find a lawyer who is competent in mental health law. You can download a list of currently accredited scheme members from Mental Health Accreditation Scheme. To find the list, scroll down to the section called 'Current members'.

MoneyHelper has a section with guides on pensions issues. Their help, from pension specialists, is impartial and free - online or over the phone.

For free pensions guidance, contact MoneyHelper using their webchat or over the phone for impartial and free help. The phone line and webchat are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (closed weekends and public holidays). Call MoneyHelper on 0800 011 3797. You can also submit a question through their online enquiry form.

MoneyHelper also offers a free service called Pension Wise that provides impartial government guidance about your defined contribution pension options. To qualify for an appointment you must be 50 years old or over and have a defined contribution pension. If you are under 50 but you are inheriting someone else's pension or retiring early due to poor health you can also get help via this service. There are various options on how you can have your free appointment - online, by phone or in person. For more details go to Pension Wise appointment options. 

Planning Aid England runs a free advice service offering a limited amount of general advice on planning related issues in England by email. To access this, go to their website and fill in their online enquiry form. They also have online resources which deal with all aspects of the planning system in England.

Planning Aid Wales offers training and guidance via its website. 

TaxAid helps people on a low income with a tax problem if HMRC can't sort it out.  To work our if you are entitled to their help, they will ask you some questions about your finances and any debts or savings you may have. They will ask you about your annual income and whether it is below the individual Minimum Income Standard (MIS) currently £28,000. Be aware that TaxAid does not advise on tax credits, council tax, welfare benefits, corporation tax or give tax planning advice. TaxAid asks that you look at their online resources to answer your problem first before calling their helpline. If you need more help you can call TaxAid on 0345 120 3779. Open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. There is also an online contact form you can fill in if phoning is difficult for you. 

If you are on low income (less than £20,000 annually), not self employed and aged 60 or over, contact Tax Help for Older People. Call Tax Help for Older People on 01308 488066 Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

If you are representing yourself in court or at a tribunal (someone doing this is often called a litigant in person), or thinking about it, there may be free help and advice you can get at different stages of your case. Here we explain what each service can help you with and how you can access them.

What kind of help do you need?

There are different kinds of organisations offering different kinds of help. We know it's incredibly frustrating when you can't find help or finally get an appointment only to realise the person you are speaking to can't help you in the way you had hoped. So here's our explanation of the types of help you may be able to get. If you are thinking of taking a case to court or tribunal, different types of help are likely to be helpful at different times.

When we say an organisation offers legal advice we mean that they have specialist legal knowledge and are trained to give advice about your specific case, help you work out if it's worth taking it to court, and explain court procedures, and rules.  

By representation, we mean that somebody can come with you to your court or tribunal hearing and speak on your behalf.

When we say an organisation offers emotional support we mean that they can provide someone to talk to and someone to come to court with you to support you.

By practical advice we mean that they can help you with practical tasks that don’t require in-depth specialist legal knowledge – for example, they can help you organise your papers and your thoughts, explain what happens in court, and refer you to legal advice agencies.

Information is general guidance – often as leaflets, guides, websites or short films. It can explain processes, or the law, and the best information can help you work out what to do, and how to do it, but is not tailored to your exact situation.

Who can help?

RCJ Advice 

You can get free legal advice from RCJ Advice if you are involved in a civil or family case in the County Court, High Court or Court of Appeal across England and Wales. Their solicitors can give legal advice on things like how to complete forms, what steps to take, and how to reply to court papers. They can also arrange mediation or representation. So many people need to use this service that they are only able to offer a maximum of three appointments to each person.

Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors, from RCJ Advice in partnership with Rights of Women, offers legal advice for women experiencing domestic abuse. Advice is offered face to face, by phone, Facetime and email. Call FLOWS on 020 3745 7707 between 9am-5pm or email [email protected]. You can use their postcode search online to find FLOWS services near you.

Support Through Court

Support Through Court aims to help you represent yourself more confidently in court, by providing practical advice, information and emotional support in civil courts. Support Through Court volunteers can help you fill in forms, organise your papers and your thoughts, and refer you to organisations who can give you legal advice or representation. Please note that they cannot give legal advice. 

You can attend their offices in certain courts and universities. For people who cannot get to an office, You can call Support Through Court's national helpline on 03000 810 006 Monday to Friday 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm. They also offer Support Through Court Online where you can have an online appointment Monday to Friday 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm. These appointments must be booked in advance. 

Advocate

Advocate can help find you a barrister who can provide you with free advice or representation at a tribunal hearing (or at court) anywhere in England and Wales. They can help with any legal issue as long as you are not eligible for legal aid and don't have enough money to pay for legal help. Find out more about how it works and find the online form.

Once you have submitted your application, it is assessed by the casework team to make sure there is enough information about your case for a reviewer to decide if you are eligible for free help. The team may ask you for more documents or information if the form is not complete. Once the casework team is satisfied that they have enough information, your application will be sent to a senior reviewer to decide if your case fits the financial and legal merits.

If the reviewer decides you are eligible and the work will take three days or less, the Advocate team will start looking for a barrister to help you. Because they rely on volunteers, they cannot guarantee to find someone, but they will do their best. If they can't find someone, they will let you know before your hearing. Advocate finds barristers to help you with a particular task in your case. They cannot find someone to take a whole case for free. So, if your application is successful, you will receive help for that specific task. After that, if you need further help you can apply again, providing at least three weeks' notice. 
 

The Free Representation Unit (FRU)

The Free Representation Unit (FRU) offers legal representation to people who cannot get legal aid and can’t afford a lawyer. They may be able to represent you if you have a case at an Employment tribunal, a benefits appeal at a Social Security tribunal or a Criminal Injuries Compensation tribunal. The service is only available if you have a hearing date at a tribunal in London and the South East. You have to be referred to the FRU by another agency, such as Citizens Advice. If you have a short employment tribunal hearing (1- 2 days long) you may be able to contact them directly. To find out if they can help, without a referral from somewhere like Citizens Advice, call the Free Representation Unit (FRU) on 020 7611 9555 Monday to Friday 2pm - 4pm. 

LawWorks

LawWorks supports around 200 advice clinics that provide free initial legal advice to individuals on various areas of law including social welfare issues, employment law, housing matters and consumer disputes. If you are thinking of taking a case to court, get advice first. A clinic will be able to advise you of other possible options, if it is worth it, and what your first steps might be. See if there is a clinic near you that is providing telephone, email or digital help: LawWorks clinics network. See their guidance on what you should have ready if you have an appointment remotely - What to bring to a legal advice clinic

Expert help from a solicitor on our panel

We have teamed up with Resolution to provide a panel of family law solicitors that can advise users of our most popular family law guides for a reduced, fixed fee. So far it is only available for users of:

• Sorting out child arrangements,
• Apply for a child arrangements order,
• Apply for a financial order, and
• Sorting out your finances when you get divorced.

You can see up front exactly what areas of your case they can advise you on and how much their help will cost you  - so that you can be certain you can afford it. Even better, we have designed a process to make getting this help as cheap as possible for you, by making sure that you use the solicitor’s time as efficiently as possible. See Our affordable advice service for more details or go to one of the above guides that is most relevant to you.

There are lots of charities and other organisations who run advice services for particular groups of people, for example:

• Age UK provides information and advice to older people, and their friends and relatives. You can find your local Age UK service here: Find your local Age UK service or contact Age UK Advice on 0800 678 1602. Lines open 8am to 7pm 365 days a year.
• Age Cymru Advice provides information and advice to older people, and their relatives, friends and carers in Wales. You can contact Age Cymru Advice and talk to someone in Welsh or English on 0300 303 44 98. Lines open Monday to Friday. 9am - 4pm. Alternatively, email them at [email protected]
• Independent Age offers award-winning information, advice and support for older age. Their current focus is loneliness, poverty and health and care. You can call Independent Age for free on 0800 319 6789. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm. You can also email the Helpline team: [email protected]. (Closed at weekends and on public holidays). 
• The Disability Law Service provides free legal advice over the telephone about employment, disability discrimination, community care, and welfare benefits to people with disabilities and their carers.
• The Eastern European Resource Centre provides free advice to Central and Eastern European migrants. Check their website for details of helplines and times as they vary depending on which language you would like to speak in. 
• Gingerbread offers support to single parents on anything from dealing with a break-up, to going back to work or sorting out maintenance, benefits or tax credit issues. They have information pages, a forum, and local and digital groups.
• Gypsies, Roma and Travellers and their families can get legal advice from Friends Families and Travellers - a national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsies, Roma and Travellers regardless of ethnicity, culture or background - about planning, education, accommodation, health and discrimination issues. Call Friends Families and Travellers on 0127 323 4777 Monday to Friday, 10am - 4.30pm. Closed on public holidays.
• Mind has services for people with mental health problems, including a legal helpline for advice on being detained under the Mental Health Act (sectioning), mental capacity, community care, discrimination and equality. Call Mind on 0300 466 6463 Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm. 
• The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society funds the MS legal advice line to provide free confidential legal advice to people affected by MS in England and Wales on employment, disability discrimination, goods and services, community care and welfare benefits. Call the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society 020 7791 9800 or email - [email protected].
• National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) offers a specialist legal service for children, young people and vulnerable adults in the area of family law. For information about how to contact the service, see NYAS legal services or call NYAS on 0808 808 1001 Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm, and Saturday 10am - 4pm or email to [email protected]. NYAS also offer an online chat service via their website. 
• The Prisoners' Advice Service offers free legal advice and support to adult prisoners in England and Wales. You can get in touch with the Prisoners' Advice Service by calling 020 7253 3323 Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-4.30pm. You can contact them through their online form which is checked daily. Or you can write to: Prisoners’ Advice Service, PO Box 46199, London EC1M 4XA. In addition to the advice line, the Prisoner’s Advice Service offers a Freephone service for women prisoners. Call the women prisoners' service on 0800 024 6205 on Tuesday mornings, 10am and 12.30pm.
• The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) can help you with employment and discrimination issues relating to sight loss. They can also advise you if you are the relative or carer of someone with sight loss, and need help to support them. Call the RNIB on 0303 123 9999. Line open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Or email them at [email protected] or say, “Alexa, call RNIB Helpline.”
• Students' Unions - if you are a student, your student union may run a student advice centre that provides information, advice and, in some circumstances, representation. Check your student union website for details.
• Working Families provides free and confidential advice to parents and carers about their employment rights including maternity and paternity leave, rights to time off in an emergency, parental leave and flexible working. They can also advise on benefits for families. You can call the Working Families Legal Helpline on 0300 012 0312 Monday to Friday 11 - 2pm (closed on public holidays). Beware that calls are not free, but charged at the same rate as national landline calls. You can also fill in their online advice form. They will aim to get back to you within 10 working days. 
• Bawso provides advice, services and support to black minority ethnic communities and individuals in Wales who are affected by abuse, violence and exploitation. Call the BAWSO helpline on 0800 731817 open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or email: [email protected].
• IKWRO is a charity that provides advice and support to Middle Eastern, North African and Afghan women and girls living in the UK who have experienced, or are at risk of all forms of “honour” based abuse, including; forced marriage, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), or domestic abuse. Call IKWRO on 0207 920 6460 Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 5.30pm or email [email protected]. For out-of-hours emergencies call IKWRO on following numbers – for Kurdish / Arabic/ English: 07846 275246, for Farsi / Dari / English: 07846 310157. You can also submit a contact form online.
• Youth Access – you can use their website to search for services that provide information, advice, counselling and support to young people in your area go to Find your local service for young people

Solicitors

For some legal problems, you may need the help of a solicitor. Different solicitors specialise in different legal problems. You should always try to get a solicitor who specialises in dealing with problems like yours.

You can search for a solicitor on the Law Society website at Find a solicitor in England and Wales

You can also search for a solicitor who does legal aid in your area at Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator.

Law Centres are staffed by both solicitors and other workers who specialise in helping people with employment, immigration, education, housing, community care, and benefit problems. Law Centres usually only help people who work or live in their area. Find a Law Centre near you.

Barristers

Some barristers take queries or cases directly from members of the public. They are called ‘public access’ barristers. The Bar Council has a directory of public access barristers at Public access to barristers.